In general, an electronic component using a ceramic material, for example, a capacitor, an inductor, a piezoelectric element, a varistor, or a thermistor, includes a ceramic body formed of a ceramic material, an internal electrode formed in the body, and an external electrode installed on a surface of the ceramic body to be connected to the internal electrode.
In accordance with the recent trend for miniaturized and multifunctional electronic products, a chip component has also been miniaturized and multifunctionalized and, thus, there also has been a need for high-capacity products with a small size and high capacity as a multilayer ceramic capacitor.
To achieve miniaturization and high capacity in a multilayer ceramic capacitor, an electrode effective area needs to be maximized (an effective volume fraction required to embody capacity needs to be increased).
As described above, to embody a miniaturized and high-capacity multilayer ceramic capacitor, a method of exposing the internal electrode in a width direction of the body to maximize an area of the internal electrode in the width direction through a marginless design and separately attaching a side margin portion to the exposed surface of the electrode in the width direction, prior to sintering, after such a chip is manufactured to complete a multilayer ceramic capacitor has been applied when the multilayer ceramic capacitor is manufactured.
However, during a procedure of forming a side margin portion in the above method, many voids may be generated at an interface between a ceramic body and a side margin portion, thereby degrading reliability.
Electric field concentration may occur due to the voids generated at an interface between the ceramic body and the side margin portion and, thus, there may be a problem in terms of a lowered breakdown voltage (BDV).
Density in terms of external sintering is degraded due to the voids, thereby lowering waterproof reliability.
In general, an oxide layer is formed in a void generated at an interface between the ceramic body and the side margin portion to enhance a breakdown voltage (BDV) and waterproof reliability, but there may be a problem in terms of an insufficient effect.
Accordingly, there has been a need for research to prevent a breakdown voltage (BDV) from being lowered and waterproof reliability from being degraded in a miniaturized and high-capacity product.